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Make Your Own Laundry Detergent

Written By: Margaret Boyles Contributor

In recent years, I’ve started making my own laundry detergent. It’s less irritating on my skin and works as well as any commercial detergent for a fraction of the cost. Here’s the simple recipe.

“After the ecstasy, the laundry.” I’d say that this famous Zen saying also holds for agony. Yes, the laundry always awaits! Ecstasy or agony, laundry serves as a metaphor for everything about daily living that demands attention.

Homemade Detergent

For years, I had made homemade detergent out of borax, washing soda, and grated hard soap.  However, after a while, I found that the borax was irritating to my skin. 

Here’s my recipe. Toss these ingredients individually right onto the clothes you are about to wash:

  • A good squirt of liquid Castile soap (three or four tablespoons).
  • Half a cup of baking soda (light load) or washing soda (more alkaline, better at lifting grease/oils from heavy work clothes). Use protective kitchen gloves if you need to break up clumps of washing soda, which can be slightly irritating.
  • A handful of plain salt (I use non-iodized kosher from a big box; brightens colors, helps remove stains).

Works as well as any detergent I’ve used. Give it a try yourself!

Homemade (non-chlorinated) oxygen stain remover

If you need an oxygen bleach, I have a recipe that’s a cinch to make. It not only works well on most fabric stains, but you can also use it to clean just about everything—even as a gentle disinfecting wash for fruits and vegetables.

Here’s how I make it:

  • Mix equal parts of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide and baking soda with two parts of hot water and shake well. For deeply set stains, use washing soda in place of baking soda.
  • Funnel the solution into a light-excluding bottle to maintain the stain-fighting strength of the peroxide. That’s it!

Note: This homemade solution doesn’t spray the way commercial liquid oxygen bleaches do, because the baking soda settles. I just shake it well and squirt or sprinkle it onto stains, or add half a cup to the wash water.

That’s it! 

→ See more tricks to remove stains from clothes!

Cleaning

About The Author

Margaret Boyles

Margaret Boyles

Contributor

Margaret Boyles is a longtime contributor to The Old Farmer's Almanac. he wrote for UNH Cooperative Extension, managed NH Outside (a writing collaborative for Extension natural resources volunteers), ...

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Comments

<a title="View user profile." href="/author/margaret-boyles">Margaret Boyles</a> Thu, 12/06/2012 - 16:26
Great comments, all! I've also used the dry mixtures, but found they tend to cake in my wash if I'm not careful. I don't think you have to worry about precise measurements in any of these homemade products. Half and half washing soda and borax with an equal amount of grated hard soap should do the trick. And Woodfarm is right; the peroxide does degrade quickly when mixed with water or exposed to light. Guess I'll start mixing my stain remover just before I treat the wash I'm about to do.
<span>Jorj Walt</span> Wed, 12/05/2012 - 09:06
I have been making this for almost a year. I add a little baking soda as well as the washing soda to brighten the wash. I also add more water to thin it some and keep it in gallon milk jugs. Usually I make 4 gallons with this recipe.
<span>Woodfarm</span> Tue, 12/04/2012 - 12:16
peroxide degrade rapidly, so make only as much as you need that day. The oxygen in peroxide boils off, even in a bottle.
<span>Rusti</span> Tue, 12/04/2012 - 11:51
I've made my own soap for over a year now. I mix up the dry ingredients and do not put water with it. I usually make a double batch and keep it in a gallon jug. Two tablespoons per load. Boarx, Baking soda, Washing soda, and Fels Naphta (grated). It's wonderful.
<span>Sabdu</span> Tue, 12/04/2012 - 13:44
Wondering if you could give me the amounts of the ingredients to put into the dry mixture recipe.
<span>Rsmcguire</span> Tue, 12/04/2012 - 12:45
i was wondering where you get the directions for making this soap. How much of each ingredient do we use?
<span>Jenae</span> Sun, 04/07/2013 - 00:48
Ill have to try this recipe. I have a dry laundry soap recipe on my site below http://www.modestsimpleliving.com/laundry-soap
<span>Emkay</span> Tue, 12/04/2012 - 19:51
Just google homemade dry laundry soap and you'll find several websites with recipes for dry laundry soap.
<span>Karen Sirridge</span> Tue, 12/04/2012 - 12:22
I like the idea of a 'dry' product..takes up less room..and less mess..Thanks..I think I need to try this..
<span>Tresf</span> Tue, 12/04/2012 - 11:40
what's the trick to mixing peroxide with baking soda?